Ebonyi NULGE protests, seeks LG autonomy

Ebonyi State chapter of the National Union of Local Governments Employees (NULGE), took to the streets of Abakaliki, the state capital to express their support for the autonomy of local government system.

The local government workers in their thousands marched to Government House and House of Assembly Complex in Abakaliki chatting solidarity songs carrying placards with inscriptions like We Want Local Government Autonomy and Respect the Rule of Law, among others.

The state Head of Service, Chamberlin Nwele, while addressing the workers, said over 50 per cent of the councils could pay salaries of their workers.

“About seven out of the 13 local government areas in Ebonyi State cannot pay salaries of workers. Today, salaries are paid on or before 15th of every month in the state at both the state and councils’ employees because of the Governor Dave Umahi’s ingenuity in managing the scarce resources of the state,” he said.

Speaking on behalf of the workers, the National Trustee of NULGE, Abimbola Babalola, said local government autonomy would end deductions of council allocation by governors.

He noted that the autonomy would bring sanity to the system and strengthen the council administration in the country.

Speaking, the state NULGE President, Leonard Nkah, said with councils’ autonomy, the third tier of government would provide dividends of democracy to the people at the grassroots level.

“Politically, autonomy will create a level playing ground for true grassroots politicians to emerge as chairmen and councilors.

“This will surely create stability that will attract high profile individuals to participate in the grassroots governance and contribute their quota towards a solid local government system that will reduce the pressure and quest for state and federal appointments,” he said.